What I Am
by Skyskater
Summary: I am what I am. Nothing can change that. Everybody is special, everybody is different, everybody has a story. That's who we are.
1. I Am a Raven

Author's Note: Here's the catch. For each chapter, you have to guess which character we're talking about. It should be obvious. Review if you know. Many thanx.

I am a raven. With broken wings. Who am I? I'm someone you never would think I am. On the outside, I'm all about training. Inside, I'm a completely different person. I'm the type of person inside that you would think needs anger management. Inside, if you don't know me well enough, you would think I'm just a bubbling pot of rage and hatred. I don't honestly care about other people's feelings. How do you think I survive? After I lose everything...its not that easy anymore.

Some people think me an emo kid. Really...some people even think that my arm warmers are used to cover imaginary deep cuts in my wrists. Some people say I talk in circles. It's neither. I make my point direct, and I do not slit my wrists, even though some nights I desperately want to. If you were me, you would know why. Some days...life would just become too hard for me. After training I would go home, curl up in my bed, and just cry. But I was younger then...I can't afford to show my weaknesses, otherwise I'll never get stronger.

Many girls want me, many guys wish they were me. I wish I was happy. But I will never be unless I achieve my goal in life. How will I do that? you ask. I will train, and never stop training. I will always keep my eyes on the prize that will some day be mine. And I will not die. Not yet. Not until a certain person is dead. If I die...my dreams..all of them...will be shattered for good...and nobody else will be able to carry them out for me.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to live a normal life. To not be a genius, to not have a psycho as a brother, to have a family that would love me. But I will never have that life now. Never. Most people, as they walk by my house, think, "Oh man, it's that prodigy. I'd better please him if I don't want to get hurt." That's why I hate the way I am. If I could change, I certainly would. I mean...I have goals yeah. But doesn't everyone?

On times after missions, I wake up and I'm in the hospital, a nurse standing over me with new bandages. And I wonder, "What's happened?" And then I realize, that I'm here because I've saved someone yet again. Maybe if I didn't save so many people, I wouldn't have this popularity. But I don't want to be the lonely kid either. I just want to be the kid people look at and say, "Hey, there's that really nice kid...its too bad he doesn't have any friends..."

I can't risk the danger of having too many people close to me. If I did...they would all die before HIS hand, and I would be forced to watch. I can't handle that kind of torture. If you torture me physically to get an answer out of me, I'll keep silent until I'm dead. But I just can't stand mental torture. It hurts me too much, and brings bad memories bubbling up to the surface of my mind one by one to stand in a painful line that never ends. I've seen too many people die, seen too many people get hurt. And someday, I know, someone will be standing watching me slowly die, my body convulsing with painful shudders. And that certain somebody will throw their head back and just laugh.

I don't know anything compared to him. He used to be the 'love' of our parents' lives. He was the smart one, was a straight A student, always exceeded in everything. Whatever I did, he could do 10 times better. And it made me jealous. Made me so jealous I was determined not to be what he was. Made me determined to be myself, and not grow up to be the 'little prodigy' of our clan. I was so determined, I was scared when it actually worked. My parents wouldn't talk to me for days when they saw my test results, and he would just laugh. And then...one day...it was over. They were dead. One slash of that blade...and they were dead. And what else could I do...except listen to HIM...and run.

Who am I? I am a bird with broken wings. I cannot fly anymore, until I achieve the goal I truly desire. That goal is what keeps me going no matter what. And until I accomplish that goal...I will never be free.


	2. I Am A Flower

I am a flower. That's my name sake. A flower. So gentle, so delicate. Sometimes it makes me feel quite weak. Sometimes it makes me feel proud. And sometimes, it makes me feel helpless. I mean, a flower is made to be picked and put in a vase of water to live for a short while, and then die. Flowers fall off trees just to get stepped on. Flowers' petals are picked off and shredded with no idea how much torture it's putting the flower through.

But I cannot change what I am. A flower cannot possibly grow into a giant tree. A flower cannot change into a giant mountain. Once a seed, a flower soon blooms into a gentle blossom if tended to daily and carefully. In that case, I'm just not taken very good care of, if everybody insults me and pushes me around. "Oh, do this! Oh and can you pick this up too?" It's just so frustrating!

Sometimes being a flower makes me feel weak. Seriously, what can a flower honestly do? Well, lavender can make the person confused and can induce forgetfulness. But that's about it. But I'm not lavender. I'm a cherry blossom. And being a cherry blossom makes me feel even weaker than ever. A cherry blossom can be easily picked without resistance, no thorns to block the person's way. Their pink petals can be torn off without a single care, and they litter the streets, making it a pink wonderland. I look at these flowers, and my heart goes out to them, knowing they share the same pain I do.

And sometimes, it makes me feel proud to be a flower. A flower is flexible, a multitasker. It captures energy from the sun and transfers it into food at all the same time, while blossoming from a seed into a beautiful organism with petals lovely to behold. And besides, flowers are pretty. People look at them and sigh, a gentle smile on their face. Flowers are also quite nice to smell. They are used in perfumes and other things like that, but the raw flower's smell is better than anything you could possibly imagine. It can send you drifting into a world of euphoria that never ends, but when the flower dies, so does that world.

Yet, being a flower makes me feel helpless as well. A flower cannot resist when it is being picked, it can only lay down its blossoms and hope to die a painless death. A flower can't run away when it sees a fire coming, instead it just has to stay there and burn to death. A flower can't save themselves from falling off the trees to be crushed underfoot. A flower goes along with the flow, never bending, always breaking off their slender stems. And that makes me feel helpless, because I am not strong enough to resist death. Not strong enough for anything.

But I hope that my petals and stem get stronger as life goes on. I do not want to just be crushed by an enemy's hand and not do anything about it. I will not be like a weak flower. I will be a strong one, a strong cherry blossom. I will not just drift off the tree and let myself be crunched underfoot like any amount of dead leaves. I will not, I repeat, I will not give up on my dreams until I am through and done with them. Because if I let go, I am letting go of my hold on my tree, giving up hope, saying that I am weak and helpless. NO! I am NOT weak and helpless. I will become strong! I will!

I know that sometimes I have to catch up, but just don't feel like it. I know that when the wind blows strongly, someday I will blow off and then all hope will be given up and I will die. I know that if the tree I cling to gets struck by lightning, I will fall gently to the ground, unscathed until the new day, when numerous people will step on me, run over me, hurt me. But nobody will be able to hear my small cries of pain as I lie on the ground, helpless to their steps. I'll always be helpless if I let go of my dreams. I don't know what to do, because I am just a flower.

What am I? Why...I'm a flower, delicate, flawless, and beautiful. I clingn to my stem with hope for the future. I just wonder sometimes, just sometimes, would it hurt to change, just even a little bit? While I cling to my stem, I have no dreams, no goals. But if I let go...I am dying. Which is the right path for a flower like me?


	3. I Am a Fox

I am a fox. A fox, yes, that is what I am. Before I used to be quite a lonely fox, separated from the rest of them, being different. Before, nobody was a fox like me. They were all flowers, ravens, butterflies, deer, things like that, and not one of them would lift a finger to help me, a poor helpless fox. Ok. I wasn't really helpless, but I was helpless to the fact of what I am.

Sometimes I dream at night about what it would be like to be a normal kid. To have parents, maybe even some siblings. To have a pet dog that I could play with all day. To be able to do all the normal things a normal kid would be able to do. A normal kid doesn't have a seal on their stomach. A normal kid doesn't have scars on their face. A normal kid isn't alone in the world, isn't afraid to show what they truly are inside. A normal kid could say hi to people on the street and they would smile and say Hello back, maybe even give him a lollipop. Things just don't happen that way for me. Things are always different, always worse for me. Why? Because I'm not a normal kid, I'm a fox.

But a fox is strong. I hope to be strong one day too. So strong that I can even surpass the Hokage and BECOME the Hokage! A fox has claws, fangs, can move stealthily. I may not have claws or fangs, but I have the determination and the willingness to give up even my life to accomplish my goal. One day, something will snap inside of me and then I truly will have claws and fangs, and become the demon everyone knows I am inside. But while I still can, I keep it in check, desperately trying not to let it grab hold of me and possess me.

When I was a kid, (well I guess I sorta still am) people would hate me, despise me, never even take the time to say a friendly Hello or Good Morning. The only person that really ever payed attention to me was Iruka-sensei. Even when I pulled off practical jokes, like putting graffiti all over the Hokage Monument, he was still there for me, still consoled me, told me that I should better my ways. Sometimes he sounds just like a mother hen. I think he is. Kami, what if he's related to a chicken? And that one time, when I didn't do an accurate transformation of the Third Hokage, he just gave me detention, and at detention he carefully explained to me that the Third Hokage indeed was NOT gay. We'd burst out laughing and then he bought me some ramen later.

I absolutely looooove ramen! If I had a choice, I would eat ramen all the time, except sensei says that ramen has high sodium and MSG and that it's not good for you and that you could die from it. I don't want to die. I want to be the best, but how can I do that if I'm dead? Not possible, unless I'm fortunate enough to get someone to sacrifice themselves for me.

I HATE Sasuke-bastard! I mean, he never even pays attention to me or Sakura! He just thinks he's the best, but I'm out to prove him that he's not! A fox is determined, just like me. I will not give up until I prove to him people that don't come from a clan like his can also be very strong. I don't know how I'm going to prove that, but I will! I know I will! Because if I don't, then Sasuke will go around acting like he's the king of EVERYTHING. Kami I swear...I can just imagine a world where Sasuke reigns: Have to wear dark blue all the time, your favorite food will have to be tomatoes...and then he'll ban RAMEN just to spite me! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Anyway, people still kinda hate me. I can see why, now that I'm old enough to know what's inside me and what terrible power it could unleash upon the village. It would wipe out everything, just like it did 12 years ago. That wouldn't be good, especially since I also wanna win Sakura-chan's heart and make her see that Sasuke-bastard is really a BASTARD!

What am I? I am a fox. Determined, strong, willing. And I'm different too. People say different isn't always better, I say different means unique, means you aren't afraid to show who you are inside. So I'm glad when people say I'm different, because I am!


	4. I Am An Artist

Author's Note: You guys...this is getting WAY too easy for you. So I'm not going to put the characters in any specific order. Like Team 10 could be mixed up with Team Gai and Akatsuki, or anything like that. So don't expect it to be in any specific order. Since u guyz r 2 smart for lil ol me, there will be no more trademark phrases like Naruto's Believe It! or Deidara's Unn. And there will be NO NAMES AT ALL. Cya later. Enjoy.

What am I? I'm a replacement. A replacement for someone that left a long time ago. I'm here because people didn't want to believe he was actually gone, and so they look at me, but instead of seeing who I am, they see him. The traitor. I don't like that. For once, I would kill to be out of his shadow, to be myself, to have people see me just the way I am and not discrimate me. A replacement follows someone else's footsteps, tries to act just like that person, and for what? There's absolutely no point to it, don't people see that by now? No matter if he comes back or not, I'll just be me. And that's all I'll ever be. I can't change the way I act, can't change the way I think, can't change my personality to be just like him. Then my originality would go down the drain.

Original...thats me alright. Even though I am a replacement for him, even though I may have the same hair color and eye color as him, people still have to get this down: I'm not him. No matter what they think, I can never be someone I'm not, and nobody can ever be me. Because I am original. Nobody can copy my style. Of course, there's Shadow Clone Jutsu. But they won't really have my taste, my flair, if you get what I'm going at. On the outside and the inside of myself, are two very different people in one body. Nobody will EVER have the inside part of me. Because that's who I really am.

On the outside, some people think I am very annoying. On the inside however, I'm really very sad. You wouldn't notice it at first if you just look at me and don't dig under the surface. My inner self is always sad, always crying. Why? Because I'd like people to notice me, see me for just who I am, and not see someone else that for all Kami knows is dead. What's the point of replacing someone that could be years dead, could be long gone? There is no point. But people have proved me wrong, since I am standing here right now in another person's footsteps, looking back the way I came and wondering if maybe, just maybe, I can be accepted here for the person I am.

On the other hand, I'm an artist. Brush paintings is my specialty. I hardly ever go anywhere without a brush, a small canister of ink, and a pad of paper. Before when I was younger, I used to be crap at drawing and painting, at any type of art. But one day that all changed. The day when I heard my family had all died in the war against the demon. That changed my entire life. I cried for days, and then, something started to grow inside me. That was my artist side. It was the side that allowed me to express my feelings through a brush and paper. And then I noticed something very strange. Once I painted with my black ink on that pad of paper, the drawing would always come to life, no matter what. One time I drew a horse and watched it gallop around the room. And I was scared for a while. I gave up drawing for 5 months, then I decided that I needed an outlet, something that didn't involve hurting people. That outlet was my art. So that's me, an artist.

I wonder, Will I ever be a part of the team? Probably not. Everybody accepts the fact that he's still a part of the team even though he's gone. Sometimes I hear people call me emotionless freak. That's not all true. I know, I'm not very good at showing my emotions. That's because...well...when my aniki died...the world crumpled. I couldn't think straight. I didn't know what to do, and most of the time I just sat in his room staring at the wall, at the old ANBU posters, trying to accept the fact that he was really dead. And then...something just snapped inside me. I felt as though everything had been drained, and from then on, no emotion found its way into my eyes, my face, my voice.

So exactly who am I? I'm a lonely artist. I'd much rather be an idiot who couldn't draw to save his life but have many friends that understood my dilemma. But for now...a lonely artist is what I must be. So...who am I?


	5. I Am A Raccoon

A/N: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ONLY TWO PPL GOT THE LAST CHAPTER RIGHT! Ok. Anyway...if your cheating and looking at the reviews, just DON'T read the story. The whole point of this story was so that you could GUESS. If you cheat, don't bother reading. Many thanx.

What am I? That's easy. Most people associate me with a monster, but some associate me with a raccoon. I can see why. A monster because of what I am, a raccoon because of what I look like. I don't feel terribly bad about being called, "Raccoon boy," but it hurts when I hear people whispering, "There's that demon kid. Don't go near him, he'll hurt you."

I never really had a friend, only my siblings and some acquaintances. Every day I went through the same routine, nothing differed. I never met anybody new, never talked to anybody unless I was buying something. And even then, they mumbled as little words as possible, trying their hardest to avoid my gaze. It really hurt, not having a friend. I used to wonder why people never played with me, never talked to me. I stared at the other kids as I sat in the shade of a tree, and thought, "What would it be like to have a family like that?" That won't happen. I have virtually no family left. I don't honestly count my older brother and sister anymore because well...we don't all function as a sibling trio that well.

When I was younger, I felt I was loved. There was this nice man, my uncle. He said he loved me all the time. And I felt appreciated, wanted, needed. But that all ended in one shot. I'd killed him. I killed him. I didn't know...I couldn't help it. There was a man with an ANBU mask running at me with sharp blades in his hands. And...I was scared. I didn't know who it was, why they were after me. As he got ever closer, I closed my eyes, hoping to have a quick and painless death. The blow never came. I opened my eyes, and I saw sand inching away from the bloody body. The mask was cracked, fell off in two halves. And then I saw who it was. It was that person, the person that had said he'd cared. I tried to apologize, fell on my knees next to him. It didn't work. No more, "I love you's" escaped from his mouth, only blood and terrifying words that told me he'd hated me for eternity and always will. And then...he...opened that dark vest, stained with blood, revealing explosive notes. He's said, "Please die." There was a big explosion, and then I saw white. I wondered, "Is this heaven?" and then...I returned to earth. I had survived again. And then...I knew what I truly was, knew why everyone hated me...knew everything.

My mother...he'd told me that she had hated our village for using her and me as a sacrifice and weapon. She cursed me, he'd told me that much before he'd died. I...was...sad. Scared, even. And that's when I decided that I couldn't let my weaknesses get to me, otherwise I'd never be strong. So with self endurance, I manipulated the sand to create that kanji on my forehead. Sometimes at night, I rub it, tracing the familiar passageways carved into my skin. It doesn't hurt anymore, for now it is just a scar, a reminder of the past of the vows I made, the goals I'd set.

When I went to another village, I'd found friends. Another boy with about the same childhood as me and his friends soon became my friends. And then, I'd felt that I'd found pure happiness that wasn't about killing and bloodshed. I soon learned the tricks and loopholes of friendship, that you were never to threaten your friend's life, never hurt them on purpose. I learned those standards, and many many more. For the first time in my life, I felt actually wanted here. Nobody called me a demon, nobody hurt me. Because I was just another person in that village, another regular person. I was so happy. Here I was liked, loved and acknowledged as an individual, and free of other people's curses and prejudices. Here, I was what I truly was. Here, people saw me as a friend, not a demon.

People also saw me as a raccoon. I'd laughed when my blonde friend had called me that. Then he also asked why I didn't have eyebrows. I explained everything to him, even the fact that I'd drunk about 400,000 gallons of coffee in my entire lifetime. His cerulean eyes had widened, and then he'd told me that he'd consumed about 500,000 pounds of instant noodles. We understood each other, because we were the same. And after that, everyone understood me too.

So what exactly am I? Inside I'm a demon, fighting to be let out. On the outside, it's just me. But if you look deeper than that demon thrashing about, eyes red with bloodlust, you'll find someone else. And that someone else is who I am, if your willing to look far enough. So...who am I?


	6. I Am A Bell

A/N: HAHAHAHHAHA! I just found out that Choji means butterfly and Ino means pig. AHAHAHAHAHA! Of course, I won't be using those for their stories. But...that's just wayyy tooo funny! How are you guys liking the story so far? I hope you like it! But anyways...enjoy this chapter. This chapter should be a little harder to guess, but...don't give up! Oh and...did I mention? I'd prefer that you don't use any search engines just because this story was designed to make you think, not for you to cheat. Thanx and enjoy the story.

What am I? I'm a bell. A bell makes sweet tinkling noises pleasant to hear, but if you listen to it for too long and the chimes get louder, you could very possibly go deaf. It's true. But that's what I am associated with: a bell.

Sometimes I am also associated with metal. That's my name sake. Metal clashing to be more specific. Some people cover their ears and say that it hurts. Some people like the sound, like the sound of metal clashing, blood dripping sickeningly to the ground. Personally, I don't really care what they like, as long as I can do my job and achieve my goals.

I wouldn't call myself lonely, but I wouldn't say that I have friends either. I've never had a real friend before, unless you count those two teammates of mine, and even then...they're not exactly my friends. We may operate together, we may work together, heck, we might as well even live together, but we'll never be exactly friends. Why, we hardly even talk to each other unless its an order like, "Move out and get in Alpha formation!" But other than that, there's really nothing to talk about.

Before I met my sensei, if you could call him that, I was really lonely. Other kids laughed at me, and when I went to the academy, they used to pull my hair. I would sit under a tree as the rain fell, desperately hoping someone would notice me and take me in. Nobody ever did. I used to have to steal for food, and then I would get beaten for that. Nobody really cared about me, seeing that I wasn't a threat to the village's survival. Nobody ever noticed me, just sitting there, and staring at families as they walked down the road. I used to think what it would be like if I had a family to care for me. I would stare at all those happy families with their little kids, the kids sometimes eating ice cream, sometimes playing together. I was jealous, envious. I wanted a family just like their's. Wanted to be able to play freely without having to worry about being called names or anything like that. I wanted it so badly...but I could never have it.

At the academy, my life was equally miserable. The other students said I couldn't do anything, even though I passed every jutsu test the teacher assigned us. They teased me about my ragged clothes, my hair, almost anything they thought they could make fun of. And when school was dismissed, they always bragged loudly about having a nice warm home to go back to with some red bean soup and dango waiting for their eager mouths. My heart ached, and many many times I would sleep shivering in an alleyway, crying my heart out. And that's when he found me, the person that has made my life so much better, the person that has made my heart stronger, made me stronger.

He'd found me in an alleyway, staring blankly at the wall, feeling the bruises and scrapes I had gotten from the older ninja, the older vendors that I had stolen food from. He'd said, "Come with me. I can make you stronger..." I hadn't actually followed quite what he was saying, but the prospect of becoming stronger appealed to me. So I followed him out of the village, unaware of what I was doing, unaware of who this person was. Once outside the borders, he'd given me food and water, and a home. I was so happy...I grew careless of who I was actually talking to.

Then he'd told me that I could never go back. I looked back the way I'd came, remembered the teasing, remembered the scornful looks and the bragging. I turned my back on the village and looked at him, understanding in my dark eyes. He'd smiled.

Some nights he was gone, and on two of these special occasions, he'd brought back two boys just like me. Orphans that didn't have a home or a family to go home to. Boys that wanted to get stronger just like me. And thats how those two boys became my teammates.

I am a bell. The tinkling at first is weak, then it gets stronger and stronger until the whole place vibrates and you have to put ear plugs. That is who I am. I was at first weak, but now I'm getting stronger. Soon, you won't be able to hear at all. But...the real question is...who am I?


	7. I Am A Fang

A/N: Ok. This one will be kick a$$ hard. I don't expect very many of you to know this one, considering people still have to guess the correct answer for Chapter 6. So I will give you a few hints right now: 1. This person is related to a character that made it in the Top 20 fave chars for Naruto world wide. 2. This person is rarely spoken of. This chapter was very hard to obtain because the original character was dead. Enjoy the chapter. And remember, I'd appreciate it if you didn't use any search engines, no matter how hard it is to guess. Thank you.

What am I? Well, if you'd asked me that question a few years earlier, I would've said I was associated with a blade. Now...I associate myself with a fang, as do many other people. Associating myself with a fang was how I got my nickname around Konoha. Even though I'm gone and dead already, many people still remember me, one certain person more vividly than all the others combined. I hold high expectations for that person, and I just hope that he never gives up and lives to achieve all his goals.

Why am I here, you ask. Why am I dead? Why? So many questions to answer, such little time. I'm dead because I gave up, because I was dishonored. Because...I was in depression and my skills had lowered quite a bit. People cried after they'd discovered my body in the attic of our house. He had cried too, so many years ago, when he'd found out that I'd died. He'd cried so much, and then, I could tell, he didn't want to cry anymore. So he'd stopped, and he'd went on with his life, but I knew that he'd always felt something was missing, something was gone. He felt as though someone had taken something precious from him that could never be replaced. I knew that, and I felt bad for leaving him alone. But...I was dishonored. I couldn't have lived without shame if I hadn't done what I did.

According to Yondaime, I'm as respected and skilled as the Sannin. I highly doubt that, if I failed a mission that was very important to the village. I knew how important the success of this mission would be. I knew that. But instead, I'd done what most ninja wouldn't do, I decided to save my friends' lives, therefore failing the mission. When I got back to the village, half carrying, half dragging the near dead bodies of my friends, the Hokage had rushed up to me and took them from me. I had seen black, and then I felt a falling sensation. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, the Hokage standing over me, a concerned look on his face. Then he'd asked the question I'd so been dreading, "Where's the scroll?"

Sadly, I'd told him I didn't have it. A look of disappointment flashed across his features before a smile had come up and he'd patted me reassuringly on the shoulder, saying I'd done the right thing and that it was perfectly ok with him and that he'd just send another squad to retrieve the document. But that look of disappointment had just wormed its way into my body and had started eating me from the inside out. It hurt, knowing that I'd failed. But he had said I'd done the right thing...I'm just not altogether sure he truly meant it.

The next day, I was released from the hospital. I went home, went up to the attic, and I'd done what every honorable ninja that had been disgraced would've done. But now I'm regretting it, regretting that I didn't get to see him become a ninja, sad that I couldn't have told my teammates what I'd done, and somewhat happy that everybody still remembers me, even though I'm up here, and they're down there. I know people visit my grave daily, praying over it, placing Lilies of the Valley on it, kissing the stone with my name etched on it, and sometimes a tear or two will slide down their faces as they remember me, remember the person I was.

I appreciate people that come to my grave to remember. My old friends still do that, and I smile up here because of that. I can almost feel their slender fingers trace my name on the memorial stone and on my grave, can almost feel their tears hit the ground because they know that I'd saved them but I was dead. But most of all...I can feel the love they send up here, can feel their joy, their sadness, all their feelings. But I'm glad they're still alive, I wouldn't have been able to live if one of them had died.

I am dead, that's true. But I'm a fang. A fang always keeps biting people, and it won't stop until it's completely sated. That's what I am. I won't give up until a certain person's dreams along with mine become reality. I know I'm not doing much up here, but I'm encouraging that person to never give up, like I did. But...I'm getting ahead of myself. The real question here is: Who am I?


	8. I Am A Bone

A/N: Well. This chapter I'm guessing will be somewhat hard. I expect some of you to know this, like causeiambetta. Others...I'm not too sure. Causeiambetta is leading in the chase. So far she has guessed almost every single one right except for the bell chapter...but then again, nobody got that one. So...anyway...this documentary was very hard to obtain since the original character tried to kill author. Enjoy.

What am I? I'm a bone. Something pale and bleached and white, that glows in the light of the moon, and makes people wonder whose bone it is. A bone clatters to hard ground with an odd noise, that echoes around the walls and then is gone as quickly as it comes. A bone's edges will sometimes be sharp, and cut anybody who tries to pick it up. But inside, it is just as tough, although bone marrow will soften it just a little. And that is me. A bone.

If you'd asked me the same question a few years ago, I wouldn't have said anything. You would find yourself staring at a kid no more than 10, with ragged clothing and blank eyes. You would find a boy that didn't know what to do, didn't know where to go, didn't know how to live. You would find someone that would make you think, "Is he dead or isn't he?" If you'd talked to me, I wouldn't answer you. Sometimes people got frustrated because of that, but that was because I couldn't hear them, couldn't respond even if I'd tried. I would just stare at you and keep staring until you looked away, afraid if you looked too long into those blank eyes, you would eventually spiral down into them. And then you would go away, afraid of the kid who stood there staring after you, no emotion in his eyes, no smile spreading across his face, no emotion whatsoever. And later, you would tell your friends about me, warning them never to go near the boy with that odd hair color, the boy with those blank eyes, like the living dead. You would never want to see me again, but I'll always be near you, haunting you at night, like a nightmare that you can never get rid of. Why? Because that's who I am. I don't really have social skills, don't need them.

But who needs to be social? I mean, when your fighting for your life in some godforsaken place, you won't be saying, "Hi! How are you? Lovely weather we're having today!" When your fighting, you can't do that, otherwise you'll be dead in five seconds flat. Shinobi, particularly strong ones, don't care about the weather, don't care about what you say, don't honestly care about anything, unless they're one of those ninja that save their friends even if it means failing the mission. And that is what I am: a shinobi. I don't really care about what you say to me, if your fighting me, then it doesn't matter. If your fighting me, you'd be better off dead. And if your fighting me, if you try to go after the rest of the team, I won't care. I'll just care that you're picking a fight with me, and thats all.

I am devoted to someone. If you attempt to hurt that person, for sure you'll be dead before you can say, "Damn. I was so close." That person was the only person to really care for me. He was the only person to inspire me. He was the one that gave me my dreams, gave me the promise to become stronger. And I know that he keeps his promises, because he is strong, and I am his tool, along with some other people. He won't let his tools get rusty, will always keep polishing and sharpening them so they are fresh and sharp.

I don't show much emotion. I am...emotionally challenged you could say. I'm not very good at showing joy, happiness, excitement, any of those things. The one emotion I use the most would probably be indifference and bloodlust. My eyes are blank most of the time, not really caring whats happening unless we get to kill someone. I used to wonder what was accomplished through fighting. Now I see. I don't remember exactly why I left from the final battle of my clan, from the final battle of Kirigakure. I think it was because I was young then, because I didn't like bloodshed then. But now...that's all changed.

I am a bone. Something that is indifferent about the wind, the weather, anything that comes its way. A bone is sturdy, never breaking unless someone bends it harshly in a fit of anger. Bones are what relate to me, and what I relate to. A bone is the closest thing I have ever known, and it will remain that way for as long as I live. But the honest question here is...Who am I?


	9. I Am A Code

A/N: Ok people. This is a new chapter from moi. Anyway...how are you liking the story so far? Are you impressed, deligted, bored, or even...shocked? PM me. I'd like some feedback from the readers here. Ok. This chapter...will be...I don't know. Hard or easy, that depends on who you are. But...this should be pretty easy for people like causeiambetta and the Wolf Kunoichi person, can't remember their name. So...enjoy.

What am I? I'm a code. A series of digits that almost nobody can crack unless they get to know me well enough. A myriad of numbers and letters and a jumble of who knows what else that nobody knows except me and a few select people.

I wasn't always a CODE, persay. When I was a kid, I was an experiment. A lab rat, you could say. Someone to test new things on, because they were too afraid to test it on themselves, fearful of the results, deciding to use innocent children instead. 60 children, including me, were injected with DNA to see if a certain technique could indeed be replicated. As a result, 59 of us died, leaving only me. I had had friends in those 59 too. Like Kenji, Aobi, and Matty. They all died in the first few days after the test though, leaving only me and a bunch of other kids who I didn't know. Soon, those kids all died too, leaving only me. And I ran, ran away from that place, where my friends had died, where I had been scarred for life.

Some days I wonder what it would be like if my friends had lived. Would I be here right now? Would I be what I am right now? More importantly, would I know any of the people I know right now if they hadn't died? Probably not. If they hadn't died in that horrible experiment, I would've probably still been hanging out with them in our home village. We would've played around on the streets, grown up to be ninja, fight on the same squad, and be friends until death. Its not possible now though. All I actually remember of them is the way they look, and even then, I need a picture from the old days to remind me. Sometimes I wonder what they look like now, what they could've been, where they would live and if they would have kids or not. I shrug it off, still remembering their personalities from the old days. Kenji was good-natured, liked to play a lot, but could get really ticked off if you woke him up too early. Aobi was just generally hyper most of the time, jumping around and yelling like a crazy little bunny on crack. And Matty...he was mostly silent, but he knew how to laugh, knew when to be serious, knew when to be casual. Together, we were inseparable, all four of us.

Then I had watched them die one by one. Kenji went first, then Matty, then Aobi. Before they died, they'd each told me something that I would always remember. Kenji had told me not to give up, never to look back, never to regret his death, never to think that it was my fault. Matty had told me to remember how to laugh, because laughing is important, and he'd said that a world without humor is a world that's dead. And Aobi...I remember what he said so well...it was weird to hear him say this...seeing his personality and all. He'd told me never to let my dreams die, never let anything get in between them and me. And then...I remember so well...his onyx orbs, usually sparkling with happiness, had glazed over. Misted. His head had fallen back against the cold stone floor, lifeless. I stared into those dark eyes, and wondered...if...I would see him in the afterlife. And I remember...that was the first time...that I'd cried.

But here I am now. I'm following their advice. I've remembered how to laugh, even though its quite hard when your friends have just died. I haven't given up, haven't looked back, even though its kinda hard not to look back when your staring at a picture of your friends and you the first minute of the day when you wake up. I haven't let my dreams die either. I've remembered to keep on going, never to regret anything, and to...well...just have fun. Because I know that's what they would've wanted for me, for me not to be sad and gloomy most of the time just because they weren't there for me, and I for them.

Now...I'm not that kid anymore. I'm an adult. I am a leader now as well, while when I was a kid, I just used to tag along, being the youngest and all. I am not above ruling by the use of terror. I don't think that's appropriate for 12 year old kids. Even when they misbehave or make me impatient, I remember my friends and how we used to do that also. So I just shrug it off and tell them to continue or to stop whatever they are doing and go home already. I don't honestly use terror that much. It reminds me of my friends when we used to play Ninja in the Dark. We would jump out of bushes or stuff like that and scare passersby. It worked all the time.

I am a code. A puzzle. Complex, hard to work out, hard to beat. But it is possible to solve a puzzle, crack a code. So its not impossible to get to know me. Its just hard. I'm going too far into myself. The real question here would be: Who am I?


	10. I Am a Tiger

A/N: Ok peeps. This is the 10th chapter. Each and every one of you have struggled to guess the characters. And now...it is time for the scoreboard. In 1st place we have: Wolf Demon Kunoichi13 with all correct answers. In 2nd place: causeiambetta with 7 correct answers, he didn't review chapter 9 yet. 3rd: windsoftiti with 6 correct answers didn't review chapter 9 yet. That's all for now. Keep on guessing and maybe you'll make it up to the top 3. Now...onto the chapter! Good God, I will be scared if somebody guesses this wrong. This chapter is so darn obvious!

What am I? Actually...that's a hard question. I don't exactly know anymore. It's been so long since I've been acknowledged by people to my face, that I can't honestly comprehend that question. But if I had a choice, I would most likely be compared with a tiger or a lion or something like that. But I'm more likely to go with the tiger analogy, being that I like tigers more than lions. Well...anyway...I compare myself to a tiger because they are strong, brave, smart, helpful.

Tigers are strong. I hope I am. I wanted to prove my strength to a certain somebody, my biggest rival. He just wouldn't acknowledge it. Finally, in one fight with Earth shinobi, I could finally prove just exactly how strong it was. I had a poster in my room that had a tiger on it with Chinese lettering down the side. I deciphered it and I found out it meant, 'Your force, your strength, your energy'. (the author has this poster in her room) I instantly decided that was what I was going to be like: a tiger. In that fight though, the fight in which I died, I showed how strong I was with a skill I'd never known I'd had until that very moment.

Tigers are brave. They will do whatever they need to to achieve their goals, whether it be proving strength, finding food, anything like that. I wanted to prove that I was just like that. So during missions, if both my teammates were down by some paralysis jutsu and I was the only one standing, no matter how many shinobi they were, no matter how strong they were, I would still charge in headfirst. Most of the time I would kill or injure all of them mortally, so they almost always retreated. And then afterwards, I would always faint and then the kunoichi on our team would have to nurse me back to health. Not like I minded.

Tigers are smart, intelligent. I wanted to be smart. I used to think that if I studied hard enough, I would become smart. Sometimes I wondered what would have happened if my parents had been just a little smarter. Then would I be just as smart, or even smarter? I don't know, not like it will matter anymore anyways. I'm already dead. Why should anybody care if I'm smarter or not? Because most of them don't anyway. So it doesn't matter to other people, but it still matters to me. I'm still striving to get smarter, better and live up to my clan's name.

Tigers are helpful. Well...if you could call sacrificing yourself helpful. My rival, in the fight with the Earth shinobi, didn't see that jutsu coming. Even though he is the strongest, sometimes he needs help too, you know? Who doesn't need help? Well...he would've been dead if I hadn't done what I did. Now as a result, I'm dead, he's not. I remember such agony as the boulders fell down on me crushing my entire right side. I knew I was going to die that instant. So I offered what I had left undamaged to him, so he could defeat the enemies and save the kunoichi I loved so much. Before my eyes closed for the last time, I remember I was thinking on those two teammates of mine. And I just wished I could've spent more time with them.

Now my name is written on the KIA stone. I don't necessarily feel proud of it, though. I mean, its just my name, nothing more. Its mixed up with a jumble of other names, half of which I don't care to know. But he visits that stone every day, making him late for meetings, late for his squad, late for everything. Sometimes I wish he'd stop pitying me, sometimes I wish he'd stop being so hard on himself. Its not his fault. I don't see why he has to go and make such a big deal over it. Well...then again...I probably would've if I'd been saved and he'd been killed.

I probably don't have much use anymore. My skills have probably grown rusty. But sometimes, I just think, "What's happened to that poster in my room? Is it gone? Crumpled up? Thrown away? Is my room even still there?" But then...on that date that I'll remember for all time, he'd come, as usual. He was carrying something rolled up in his hands. He'd unrolled it gently on the earth under the stone, and I knew almost instantly that it was my old tiger poster. It was still in mint condition, and he lay it gently on the ground, placing a few small rocks on the corners so that it wouldn't blow away. And now...I am always reminded of what I wanted to be.

I am a tiger. Well...at least I hoped to be. My dreams are still living on in other people, so other people will have determination, courage to do what they know is right. And my only regret is not having enough friends, not spending enough time with the ones I'd had. But...that doesn't have anything to do with this. The question is: Who am I?


	11. I Am A Weapon

A/N: You guys, this chapter should be super duper easy! Since you guys are soooo smart, (its OK I'm not making any more rules. YET) you should be able to guess this person from the first few sentences. Have fun!

What am I? I'm a weapon. Sharp on the outside, but made from soft things on the inside. A weapon is strong, can withstand many things, but if melted, its useless. That's what I relate myself to. Many others relate me to weapons as well. I can see why, seeing as I use them in my daily life.

People say I'm sharp. In fact, in a normal day, people will say that about 25 times to my face. Before, I used to get so ticked off about that that my teammates and sensei had to restrain me from hitting innocent people and civilians. But now...I've gotten accustomed to it. It doesn't really matter to me anymore. Its like people calling someone's name. Like, "Oh, hey Chris! How are you?" The name gets worn out over the years, so much that you don't even pay attention to it. So...personally...if they think I'm sharp, then good for them. I am who I am. Time can't change that.

I am soft on the inside. I mean, who isn't? Even Yondaime was soft on the inside, I bet. On the inside, I'm just someone else. Someone people don't see very often. This person only comes out about 10 times in an average year, sometimes 5. And that's only for special occasions. But I know that I'll always be that person, always. Because that person represents me for what I am. That person gives me the strength to go on, no matter how much my outer person gets bruised and battered. There's always some hidden flame inside me that encourages me to keep going, never to give up.

Maybe I am strong. I don't know. I guess that's a matter of perspective, as my dear teammate so likes to call it. I won't judge myself, I will let other people judge me. I know that if I judge my own being, it would be biased because who wouldn't want to make themselves look good? I mean, everybody wants to be held in high regard, right? So do I. But I will let other people judge that if I am strong or not.

I can't say I had a happy childhood. People wonder why I have no family to go home to, why I just greet an empty house every day. That's because they were killed in the war 12 years back, when the Kyuubi was going on a mad rampage in the village. People were slaughtered, everywhere there were trails of blood, pools of blood. Too much blood for a 1 year old like me. So I cuddled up in bed and prayed to Kami that I would be safe. What I didn't know was that my parents weren't in the house, that they were out fighting it, fighting that demon. In the morning, I'd seen that I'd dozed off. So I ran downstairs, calling for my mama and papa. They weren't home. Someone knocked on the door, and out of better judgment, I opened it. It was an ANBU ninja. He had taken his mask off, and I wondered what was happening. I didn't know how to talk much yet, but I could understand him pretty darn well. Here's the gist of what he told me: "Your parents were found dead this morning. They were killed by the Demon Fox. I'm very sorry."

I was frozen in shock. I had never expected them to die. Heck, I didn't even know they'd leave the house, leave me behind. Tears had pooled up in my dark eyes, and I'd started to cry with indignity, like the child I was. The ANBU looked stunned. Looking back, I remember that I thought that he'd never handled children before in his life. Awkwardly (sp?) he pulled me into his arms and patted my head, saying that it would be okay. It wasn't okay. It was never okay after that.

But I'm not that little kid anymore. I'm a ninja now. I don't like to look back, think of what could have been. That just gets into my way. I still remember my parents, how they looked before they died, our happy times together. But I reserve those special things until I get home after training. I cannot afford to show my weaknesses. If I do...then I'll be dead just like them. I don't think they'd want that for me. They'd want me to get married, have kids, and then die old. They wouldn't want me to die young, like they did. I don't want to die either, but there's a 75 percent chance that I will, seeing as I'm a ninja and all.

My goals...I only really have one now that my first idols aka my parents are dead. Before, I was thinking that I'd wanted to be just like my mommy and be a medical ninja, helping the injured people. But now...I don't want to be one of those anymore. Every time the word medicine is said to me, I start to think of her, and bad memories come bubbling back up to the surface, like how I'd stared into her lifeless eyes and begged her to come back. She never did, she never will. Now I just want to be the best I can be. I'm trying to achieve that goal right now. I just hope I can do it before the limit of my life is up.

I am a weapon. Hard and firm and sharp on the outside, made of molten metal that was once soft in the inside. If you burn me, I'm worthless, can't be used. But I plan not to get burned for as long as I can hold the flames off. I'm getting too far into this. You must first answer this question before I lead you too much into my background history: Who am I?


	12. I Am a Lion

A/N: Rawr. I never thought I'd make it this far, but here we are. In Chapter 12. As you very well remember, you are clearly not allowed to use search engines. If you do...well gee...why are you reading this? As far as I'm concerned, search engines are exactly the same as reading the reviews. Oh and...by the way...I'm thinking about doing pets as well. For all those in favor, PM me. Have a good day and ENJOY THE CHAPTER!

What am I? Pfft...For Kami's sakes, how am I supposed to know that? That's like asking me to defeat the Kazekage in one day! Uh...well...I suppose I DO have to answer this don't I? Yeah I do. Hmmm...can we get back to this later? No? Gee. This is a really hard question. But I suppose I can't spend all day here. Anyway...I will compare myself to a...a...a LION! Yeah, that's it.

Why do I compare myself to this, you ask me. Because a lion is strong, what I want to be. First a lion starts out as a small baby cub, and then eventually it grows stronger and stronger until its a fierce lion that kills what it wants. That's what I want to be, except I don't honestly want to kill people if I don't have to. A lion is strong, fierce, proud, and most of all...determined. That is exactly what I want to have as personality traits when I get older.

Strength. I wish to possess this quality. Every guy has to be strong, right? But to be strong, I have to train. Training can't be that hard, can it? I mean...of course, there's various areas where I will need to train, where every ninja needs to train. Like dexterity, accuracy, agility, all that jazz. Every ninja needs to train in these areas and more if they ever want to be successful. So I will have to have a clear devotion to training if I ever even want to HOPE to be a great ninja like most of the shinobi in the village.

Fierceness. I don't exactly want to look fierce all the time, just in battle. When I'm around friends and stuff, I'd like to have a casual face, something that doesn't say that I'd rather be training instead of talking. I mean...who doesn't like to talk? Everybody likes to talk. Well...except when your trying to negotiate something with your torturers. Then...people just don't like to talk. They just want to hear the answer, and they'll even KILL you if you won't spill. If I ever get captured, I'll never tell them anything. Because I will be strong.

Being proud. I swear...most people ARE proud these days. I don't want to be over the top proud, like a housewife screaming at the slightest mention of the words 'dust bunnies'. But I don't want to have NO pride at all, like a college guy in his dorm. I've heard that college guys have really sloppy dorms. So I just want to be in between. I don't want to be perfect and all clean and tidy like that, people will start saying I'm preppy. But I don't want to be a total slob, people won't want to be my friends. Either way...its not good. So I'll just be in between, not too messy, not too clean, an average kid's tidiness, probably, since I am an average kid.

Determination. That's what every ninja has to have, along with tolerance and patience. I am determined to never give up. I am determined to become the HOKAGE! (and no. This is not Naruto, I already wrote about him. Think...who else would possibly want to be the Hokage? I wonder...) If I am determined, my grandpa says, that that's already half the battle. If I go in with a positive attitude, then I'll only have strength and other attributes to boot up. If I have determination, then things will go easier for me, right? Yep. That's what every great ninja says. I even have some of their autographs on napkins!

My grandpa...well...about him. My views on him are..well...if you really wanna know...He's old...but he's cool. Of course, I never tell anybody that. People will start to think I'm gay and in love with my GRANDPA. Good god, no. He's cool because he's strong, he's determined, everything that a good ninja is. That is why he is one of the role models of my life. I like him because he knows when to be firm, when to laugh, when to everything. He says there's a right time for everything, and I believe that. Because I believe his words, in general.

I am a lion. Okay...I admit it...more like a lion cub. With dreams to be strong, determined, fierce, and proud. Dreams that I know I will accomplish if I don't die young and if I complete my training without interruptions and mishap, which are virtually impossible to avoid. Anyway...why am I still talking? I'm gonna end this stupid interview right here: Who am I?


	13. I Am a Sword

A/N: Ok. Feel very sorry for me. I have all my super hard classes 3x this week. I mean...like the classes that ACTUALLY MAKE YOU DO WORK. So feel bad for me. But next week I have all the non work classes 3x. So that's a good thing. Well...I'm just saying this because this week the chapters probably won't be so good. But at least they're here, right? And that's all that matters to fans like you fine people. Anyway...onto the story!

What am I? I'm a rusty sword. Rusty because my skills are more likely than not way out of the 'good' range, a sword because I'm quick to respond, sometimes harsh in my response. But I am a controlled sword. I like to have perfect control of my body, of my tools, of everything I come in contact with.

A sword is sharp. That's me alright. I am sharp. Harsh, most people used to say. (please note that I said USED not use) Well...I suppose I was a bit harsh in my time. I only had one friend, well...if you could call that tool of mine a friend. But I've heard people say the word 'friend' over and over again. And I've learned that a friend is just much more than someone you use as a slave. A friend is there when you need them. A friend will lend you a shoulder to cry on. Heck...a friend will even lend you clothes to use even if you are the opposite gender. (seriously i went to this sleepover at a boy's house...and he lent me his clothes)

But when I was a teen, I had...some friends. But then I learned that they were all fake friends, and not genuine ones. How I learned this...it was from a book I'd bought at the book store. (author has this very same book) It said that fake friends will bail you out of jail and then scold you and tell you never to do it again. Then it said that real friends will be sitting beside you in the jail cell saying, "Damn! We really fucked up this time. Anyway...LET'S DO IT AGAIN!" And I had fake friends. Not real ones.

I didn't have a very happy childhood. My parents died before I was three years old. I went to the academy, and we had a test there that determined whether we would become Genin. It was a very bloody test too. I mean...imagine if you had friends in school. Then you were forced to kill them because you just had to pass a darn test or die. I mean...its a hard choice if your one of those sensitive people that don't want to die, but don't want their friends to die. Personally, I'd rather their lives be on the line, not mine. I can live with the grief. But if I die...life won't really matter anymore will it? And so I passed the test. I was the only one that passed it. All my friends...they all lay with blank eyes around me, blood dripping from their open mouths, the mouths that had eaten with me, the mouths that had laughed with me. Their hands were clenched into fists, the hands that had held those knives so unsteadily until I corrected them. And for the first time in my life...I felt lonely. But I felt good. The kills...they were exhilarating. And I loved that feeling. It spread all through me and made me an assassin. I didn't care. As long as I felt the life liquid running down my hands...I felt happy.

That changed. I'm dead now. What more does blood have to do with me? All my life liquid...its all gone now, replaced by veins that run with nothing. Replaced by arteries and vessels that contain nothing, hold nothing. But I'm happy up here. My friends are here. And they've changed though the course of their lives as well. They've become genuine friends now. I'm glad for that. And the person I've been with for a couple of years in my life...he's here as well. I was overjoyed to see them. More happy than I'd ever been in my life. Then I looked at my hands. So clean, so pure, as though they had never known blood. I was frustrated then. I knew I was a bad person. And I repented.

I am a sword. A rusty sword. I never knew what it was like on the inside of the sword, but now I know. On the inside, a sword is soft. Soft as a pillow. Soft as molten metal can get. But I'm going too far with the sword illusion: Who am I?


	14. I Am a Teacher

A/N: I hope to death you guys are reading this! These notes contain important announcements! Okay. The latest update here is that I would like to say...I ACCEPT CHALLENGES! But one condition: It HAS to be Naruto related. If its not, I won't take it. Anything Naruto related, just state the topic, like 50 theme challenge, and I'll write it to the best of my abilities. So...CHALLENGE ME! That is all.

What am I? I am a teacher. Teaching children how to do things, teaching them why they are necessary. Most importantly, I am the teacher that will create many successful ninja. Of course, I'm not JUST a teacher. I can also be a friend, a parent. And most importantly of all, I can be me.

I am a teacher. Teachers teach people, of course. That is what I do. I teach children, because children is my specialty I guess. I teach them many different things, like how to throw shuriken, the number of missions you have to complete before you can advance to the rank of Jounin, things like that. And of course, I teach them how to deal with enemy shinobi and how to do basic ninjutsu and genjutsu. A pretty simple job, but I like it. I was always more of the settled type, I guess.

I am a friend. I have many friends, including the Copy Ninja. Friends are important, I learned that from the 3rd Hokage. I believe in that saying. If your in jail, then a friend will be there beside you, cheering you up and saying, "Damn. We messed up REAL bad. Hmm...what should we do when we get outta this dump? Oh I know! Lets do it again!" Thats what a friend is. Of course, I don't get drunk every other week and do real crazy stuff. That would look terribly bad on my ninja account. But that doesn't mean I don't like to party. I have fun, but I just don't like...have it a lot. I'm a busy guy, ya know?

I can be a parent. I don't really have a kid of my own...but I somehow did. Its like he's adopted, but not really, because he doesn't live with me. But we still have that same kind of closeness, you know? In my mind, a parent is someone who cares for you, someone who protects you, someone who loves you no matter what. That's what I did with this boy, so helpless, so needy, so...alone. I took him in, and got to watch him grow up. It was exciting to see someone that was once friendless become the most popular, well I wouldn't put it that way, the most friendly ninja in Konoha. And it was fun. But whenever he goes off on missions, I feel sad. And I wonder if he will come back, or if he will die, just like my parents did.

I honestly didn't have a very happy childhood. It was terrible. My childhood wasn't near as bad as this boy's...it was somewhere in between. My parents died when I was...13? Thirteen. Yes. The age where its most difficult. Then again, whenever you lose someone you love, its always difficult, no matter how old or young you are. Unless of course...you don't know about it. But being 13 must be the worst to lose someone. Your hormones running amok, you can't think straight, your saddened, and worst of all...you feel so alone. Its terrible. After my parents had died...I hid my sadness by becoming a klutz. I didn't honestly think it was neccessary, but I needed the attention. And I got it...except it wasn't really in a good way. But I was still happy for just those few moments when people would look at me and notice me for once.

But I have faith. I have faith that one day, the boy I took in will become so strong he will surpass even the legendary Sannin. I have faith in him, because I raised him, and constantly, every day, he would surprise me with something new that I hadn't taught him. I knew he would observe ninja on D-rank missions, Genin in training, he would observe any kind of ninja that could do jutsus. And so...when he came back to me on July 14, and told me proudly that he could finally throw a kunai in the center of a bullseye, I was happy. And proud. And that was when I started to have that faith. That was when I started to believe if that he practiced enough, was devoted enough, he could become the greatest ninja ever. And I wanted that for him, no matter how hard I would have to train him, no matter how much time it would cost me, I swore to myself that I would help him achieve that goal, no matter what.

I feel good whenever somebody comes up to me with a smile on their face and proudly tells me that they have finally mastered a jutsu. I feel proud whenever someone comes to me and asks me how I teach their children so much in so little time. I feel happy whenever somebody says good things about me. I feel sad whenever he is gone on a mission. I feel fear when I start to think that he may never come back from one of these missions. But most of all...I feel contented whenever he comes back with a smile on his face nad tells me that he's ascending the ninja ladder.

I am a teacher, a parent, a friend. Three things in one person. Amazing how that can happen huh? Well...your looking at living proof here. Wait...I know what you want to hear. You want to hear my name! But how can I tell you that when I'm asking you...Who am I?


	15. I Am a Genius

A/N: Haven't updated in a super long time...but who cares? At least I'm updating right? Some info about me right now:

Currently listening to 'Never Had a Dream Come True' by S Club 7

Currently uploading a youtube video about Nicholas Teo

That's about it! enjoy the story!!! Good Lord...this one should be super easy!

What am I? Fft...that's easy. Most people call me a genius. I guess you can say that. Okay...so maybe I'm not exactly your Sasuke Uchiha type prodigy. Maybe I'm not a Hyuuga prodigy. Okay. Screw this. Just pretend I'm your average kid who just happens to be...intelligent. Like GATE program intelligent. (Gate means Gifted and Talented Education. I'm in it!) Okay. So maybe I don't get the best grades ever achieved, but my mind knows enough so that I can join the studies for the SAT. (yes I too was invited to do that) Being a prodigy isn't half bad, except people bug you about it all the time asking: "Ooo! Can you help me with this problem?" and "Oh...I don't understand this! Somebody help me! Like you!"

If people would just realize that I'm a normal person other than my IQ level, then maybe I'd be happier. But I'm pretty happy right now, except for my mother. Sometimes I think I'm adopted, I swear. She expects so much outta me...and why can't she see that I'm just who I am?! Well...then again, I don't exactly wanna end up like my dad. Oh Kami...my mom has totally got him wrapped around her little finger. Whenever she asks him to do something for her, he does without a second thought. Sometimes it makes me sick. But I'm never gonna end up like him. Oh no. I'm too smart for that.

People look at me and say, "Hey look! It's that smart kid! Now Akiko, why can't you be as smart as him?" I look back and I really want to say, "No. Go on living your life Akiko. Believe me. This isn't a blessing. It's a curse." I wonder what would've happened if I could've just been a normal kid with an IQ below 100. Would I be bothered as much? Would life be easier? Would my mom stop being so...well...for lack of a better word...(excuse author's language) bitchy? She treats me as though I'm the worst person in her life, and I bet you anything if she asked my father to kick me outta the house, he would. My mom doesn't really care about me anymore. Ever since I turned 10, she stopped caring for me, stopped packing my lunch for school, stopped doing anything that helped me and took more things off of my mind. But NOOOO...I'm apparently not her little cup of sunshine anymore.

Now. I guess you want to know a little bit about my friends. Okay. I really don't have many. My really close friends know when it's time to leave me alone, when its time to say, "Hey! Let's go do something fun!" My acquaintances don't know anything about me. Heck, in their minds, I could be a stupid retard that keeps saying, "I wanna go back. I wanna go back to the blue room." (movie: Cube Zero) My acquaintances don't know when not to disturb me, don't know when I want a good opponent to play chess with. And I get really annoyed when they wake me up from a very nice nap, probably about that special girl in my life. NO I CAN'T TELL YOU WHO THAT IS! YEESH! (kicks author in the shin..."Ouch...I won't be able to do the dot run in PE tomorrow...YESSSS!!!!)

My childhood wasn't bad, nor was it good. I got terrible grades in school, but still passed. During class I would normally sleep and not bother to pay attention to the boring lesson. But when I'm in a life threatening situation, I'm up and alert. Unlike most people however, my mind isn't racing a hundred miles a minute. I stay cool and composed until I can work up a foolproof strategy that can save my skin for another day. And then I execute my plan perfectly. And they die, or are injured, or are trapped. And I leave, whistling, my hands in my pockets, ready to go home and go to sleep.

What am I? I'm just one of your geniuses with terrible grades, but a good mind to show for it. Sometimes I hate being a prodigy, sometimes I like it. Most of the time it just means 'work your butts off cuz you need to learn this new technique so you can become one of the elite' But other than the backbreaking work, I'm fine with it. So...WHO AM I???


	16. I Am An Error

A/N: Listening to the Code Lyoko Theme Song. If you guys are smart...you're gonna know this one. I guarantee it. Anyways...I had to finish my Mitosis project today which really sucked. But anyway...uh dur...you want me to get to the story so here it is. Two chapters in one day!! WOOT WOOT!

I am an error. I used to be somebody's assistant, but then I betrayed him and one of his students. Therefore I am an error. An error is a person who existed and then got beaten to a bloody pulp, thrown off a cliff, etc. and disappeared but then reappeared. That's what I am. An error. Someone who has a really bad temper and yet doesn't normally show it on the outside.

I was a victim. Used by the legendary Snake Sannin. A tool. I was so stupid...so powerless. I fell into his trap, thinking it would help keep me strong and young. But the powers dissolved upon defeat and I was left a wrinkled, powerless old man. If it weren't for one of the other Legendary Sannin, I would still be that old man.

I am a thief. I raided one of Konoha's major clans to get the ingredients for that elixir that would give me strength and youth forever. I stole the ingredients from the clan's medical facility. They didn't even notice until the following week when they had to use it to heal someone in the village because the hospital was closed. And then there was a major search for the thief. They never caught me. I didn't expect them to. I was halfway to Sound by that time anyway.

I am a liar. I lied to one of my own students. I told him to do something he originally would never have done. And he did it, like a mindless drone that followed orders. He brought it to me. I was ecstatic. If only that other fool of a teacher hadn't gotten in the way...if only he'd stayed grading papers with that annoying little red pen of his...everything would have been in my favor. But no...he just had to jump in front of that shuriken. Too bad for him. He got hurt. What else could you expect? I just wanted to kill the demon vessel and steal the scroll. Darn...I was so close to. Curse that other teacher. Why couldn't he just have been filling out a lesson plan for the next day? Oh yeah..then he would notice that that demon kid wasn't there anymore, and he would have grown suspicious, because I hadn't been helping him grade papers that other night. I lied to him, saying that I didn't feel too well and should just go lie down.

Nobody knows my last name, except the 5th Hokage. She knows. Though how...I don't exactly know. I think she read my profile. I'm not quite sure. She also knows that I was the thief of the Nara clan's medical facility. She also knows I am a ninja working for the Snake Sannin. She suspects that I would have little benefit from the scroll...and she is right. How? I just want to know...but I know the knowledge will be denied from me. She won't tell me. That would be crazy if she did.

What was my childhood like, you ask? It wasn't bad. I had that stupid teacher as a friend back then. He was usually the class clown, trying so hard to get attention. Finally, I accepted him as a friend and gave him all the attention he wanted, being that he was my only friend. Nobody wanted to be friends with a freak who had white hair. He was the only friend I could get, and vice versa. Now as I look back, I wasn't really his friend. More like an acquaintance, who would just walk alongside him, fidgeting and listening to his meaningless chatter of what he was going to have for dinner, what time he was going to wake up tomorrow, about that girl that he liked. It went in one ear and out the other. I didn't have time for friends. Eventually, when we reached Chuunin, I ditched him. Not like he cared, because we met as teacher and teacher's assistant a few years later.

I'm a liar. A thief. A victim. An error. A bug in your computer that just goes 'BEEP BEEP' whenever you try to get it to function. That's what I am...what I always will be. So...who am I?


	17. I Am A Guardian

A/N: Ok...this chapter should be a bit challenging...but not too challenging. I shall try to make it as clear cut as possible...but that's sorta hard seeing there's only three paragraphs on info and three trivia facts to work off of. But who cares? That's what makes me me. Ooh! Also tons of yaoi in this chapter. Just cuz I want to. And cuz this guy is really cute with the other one. There will be a second part to this next chapter. From different POVs.

I'm a guardian. I protect people from potential dangers, from sharp words, from unnecessary (sp?) bloodshed. And yet...I really don't know what to do to protect people. My friend says I should worry less and protect myself, but I haven't listened to him. It's gotten me into many bloody situations, but he always gets me outta it. And I can only smile. That's all.

He's been my friend ever since I failed that first Genin test. He was on the same Genin squad as me. And we passed the Chuunin exams together. He always teased me about him being stronger. I would always pounce on him and we would roll about laughing, trying to convince the other than we were stronger. And then one time...I couldn't take it anymore. My feelings had grown for him since we had been put through that B-Rank mission together, and he had nearly died through torture methods. I sat by his hospital bed day after day, waiting for him to wake up. I was so glad when he did, I nearly jumped him. And then we were back out there, in the shinobi world, pouncing on each other, and convincing each other that we were stronger than him. He was my first kiss...people might say we're gay...what do we care. We have each other. That's all we need.

I've always wondered what it would be like if I didn't have him as a 'lover'. What if my first kiss had been a girl instead? I probably wouldn't have felt so satisfied. He's the only one who can actually make me feel good no matter what situation we're in. Even if we're both pinned down to the ground by shuriken or something, he'll think of a way to make me laugh...think of a way to make me smile. I love him so much...I just can't let go of him. If I do...I'll spiral into a world of depression where the sun never shines and where the word 'love' doesn't exist.

He's my partner, my lover, my friend. Sometimes the 5th Hokage thinks we're going too far, and she warns us that one of us will eventually die and that the other will be left in a circle of depression and sadness that he can't get out of. We just smile and laugh. We've known this for a very long time. But we know that if one of us dies, the other will follow as well. We will probably die in each other's arms, we can't really bear to be separated for long.

My childhood wasn't exactly nice. He was my only friend. The others just shunned me, saying I had a weird name, saying mean things about me. He was the only one who would actually acknowledge me. He dug me out of the 6 foot hole I'd dug myself into, and brought me back into the world of the living. My parents had died when he dug me out...and I was sad. He comforted me when nobody else would even look at me. I remember that he'd brought me to a field overlooking all the villages. And I remembered that he'd hugged me then...and I felt loved, more than I had before. I was so happy. I just hoped it would last. And it did, up until now.

Everytime he's gone from me for an extended period of time, I curl up into a ball in our bed, smelling his scent on the sheets, and I cry. I don't like for him to be gone long. I want to be with him as long as we can. As shinobi, our lives are shortened. And I want to be with him every waking moment. When he comes home, it takes all my self restraint to stop from jumping him. I love him so much, and I know it's selfish of me, but he is MINE. ALL MINE. If anybody dares touch him, I'm gonna kill them.

I'm a guardian, who just happens to have a very serious relationship with another guardian. I can't help it. Love finds itself everywhere right? It finds itself here, between us two. I'm not complaining. So..the real question here is who am I?


	18. I am a Guardian Part 2

Okay you guys…that last chapter was a tough one. So I'm giving all of you a freebie this time around. One point automatically added to everybody's points. This one is Kotetsu. Causeiambetta…that was a good guess…but if you read the second to last paragraph it says: Everytime he's gone from me for an extended period of time, I curl up into a ball in our bed, smelling his scent on the sheets, and I cry. Definite uke clue. And in my mind…Izumo's more ukeish than Kotetsu. But…yeah…enjoy!

Who am I? Well…what would you give to know?

I'm a guardian, more or less. And here I am In the world…stuck doing the Hokage's fing paperwork. Well, that just goes to show you what people think of me. A paper filer. Pfft…if only they knew, if only they knew. But one person knows…my lover.

Some people think we're gay…sure…fine. Whatever floats their boat. But…I like to think of it as bisexual. Gay is such…a harsh word, you know? I mean, its not like we've been around each other and hang out around ONLY guys. I mean, chicks dig the gay thing anyway. (adam and Andrew – emo kid)

But I can PROVE to you I'm a guardian. Me and my lover are part of the Niju Shotai (newly organized task force created by Tsunade). I helped guard the 'Konoha Strict Correctional Facility'…but unfortunately…I was defeated. Hey, not my fault right? I'm not even past Jounin yet, and you expect me to defeat Akatsuki SINGLEHANDEDLY? Okay…so NOT singlehandedly. But what good does a smoker jounin, another useless jounin, and the rest of the guards do? And…sighs the prisoners all escaped. I'm so STUPID SO STUPID SO STUPID!

My lover always tries to convince me that it wasn't totally ALL my fault…I was just part of a group made up of MANY guards…but still, I should've been more alert, more wary of my surroundings.

I fought an Akatsuki member…the one that always hangs out with that totally religious dude…can't remember the one's I fought with's name now. But I used a scroll to summon a weapon, yes, a WEAPON, but I never got to use it. I feel so pathetic…and then when I woke up, I was in the hospital, my lover lying in a bed beside me, both of our wounds not bad, but still enough to be hospitalized. And I was worried for him…but eventually, he woke up and told me he was fine. And I was happy.

I'm the seme in the relationship, I'm proud to say. And its totally awesome, being in control and such. I mean, my lover had once told me that he wanted to be taken, not to take. And I was glad, because I knew both of us just couldn't be semes. So yeah…its awesome having someone other than my family to care about, to worry about, to love.

I'm a guardian, no matter what you may think, being that I got knocked out and such and let the prisoners escape and yada yada yada…but I can be a predator too. Stalking you, watching your every move…until you turn around. Then I'm gone. So…the real question is: Who am I?

You guys better get this right. READ THE AUTHORS NOTE ON THE TOP OF THE PAGE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!


	19. I am a Spy

I am a spy. Spies seek things out, trying to learn clues about the things that will help them become potential leaders, or help their leaders to gain more power and a greater reputation. A spy can be brutally dangerous, or just one little pawn in the game of life. However, you never really know…until you're engaged in a fight with them, of course.

Sometimes, of course, I'm also associated with medicine, because I know my herbs and how to combine them to heal people. But healing isn't always good. When I lay my hands on people and they sigh in relief, I wonder if they really know EXACTLY WHAT I can do to them. I could make them writhe on the ground, screaming for me to stop, or I could make them go into an endless coma that would send them spiraling into death with open arms. But I don't let them know that, or else I would blow my cover.

I remember…what it was like…to be surrounded by so many dead people. (this isn't Sasuke…I've already written about him) I remember all the blood, the horrible smell of rotting bodies, and I remember seeing those blank white eyes staring up at me, as if to blame me, as if saying, "This is all your fault. Why should the rest of us have to die while you survive? You're nothing but a mere kid…" Soon enough, however, somebody from Konoha came to rescue me from this horrid nightmare that was my life. He took me back to the village and he raised me as a son…and for the first time in my miserable life, I felt loved. That was why I was so sorry that I had to turn on him. But it was for the greater good…that's what I thought at that time, and that's what I think now. I'm not sorry I did it, but I do have to admit, my life could have been a lot better.

People never really know what I'm going to do next, which is why I'm such a threat to everybody around me. In one moment I can be a calm and polite teenager. The next…I can turn into a twisted and sadistic maniac, much like my master. Even my master, sometimes, can't discern my thoughts, can't understand me. But he knows better than to ask me what I'm thinking. He knows not to provoke me…or else my true abilities might come out, and that would just be the end of my world as I know it now. I would be forced to start over…forced to begin again. And I don't think I can manage that right now.

I am a spy. Looking and waiting…just waiting, until the time is right, to make my move, to strike…that one fatal move that can wipe out an entire village. A spy is nothing more than a pawn in the simple game of life, but…it can be so much more than that…so much more…if you use your cunning, your wits, everything you possess, to gain the upper hand. If abused…you're practically dead. But I've learned how to use my position properly. I've come so far from what I was…and yet…I still am the same. Who am I?

A/N: Designed to make you think huh?


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